I see these children with their boredom and their vacant staresGod help us all if we're to blame for their unanswered prayersThey roll the sidewalks up at night, this place goes undergroundThanks to the condo kings there's cable now in Zombietown﻿

﻿ The opening track of River of Dreams, "No Man's Land," is a sobering and polemic rocker. Billy speaks of the incoming gentrification of "no man's land," some moribund suburban area, in near apocalyptic terms. The big event in this place is getting closed circuit television or a sports franchise. Billy is the Old Testament prophet railing against our dollar-driven, plastic society and corruptness. At the time Billy wrote the song in the early 1990's, the country was going through a major recession.

The song is sort of a 1990's version of Billy's hit song "Allentown" from 1982 as it deals with similar themes of economic displacement. Rather than "living here in Allentown" there is "cable now in Zombietown." It is also reminiscent of Billy's 1973 song "Captain Jack" as it touches upon the "boredom and vacant stares" of kids in suburban no man's lands.

If John Mellencamp was the rock/pop herald for rural America, and Bruce Springsteen was the chronicler of urban America (though he was not from New York city), Billy has frequently been recognized as giving voice to the rest of America, in the no man's land of the suburbs ("Captain Jack," "The Great Suburban Showdown," "Allentown"), if not urban New York too, as in "New York State of Mind," "Movin' Out," and "Rosalinda's Eyes."

Billy discusses "No Man's Land" on SiriusXM.

​ "No Man's Land" was released as the third single from River of Dreams and peaked at #50 on the charts. As noted above, there was a music video for the song which featured scenes of redevelopment in suburban America, but that video is hard to find, and has been replaced by a live performance video.

Billy was the first musical guest on David Letterman's The Late Show and performed the song on the show and gave a brief interview, see video, below right.﻿ A live version of the song was also re-released as the B-Side to the single.

﻿I've seen those big machines come rolling through the quiet pinesBlue suits and bankers with their Volvos and their BallantinesGive us this day our daily discount outlet merchandiseRaise up a multiplex and we will make a sacrificeNow we're gonna get the big businessNow we're gonna get the real thingEverybody's all excited about it

Who remembers when it all beganOut here in no man's landBefore they passed the master planOut here in no man's landLow supply and high demandHere in no man's land

There ain't much work out here in our consumer power baseNo major industry, just miles and miles of parking spaceThis morning's paper says our neighbor's in a cocaine bustLots more to read about Lolita and suburban lustNow we're gonna get the whole storyNow we're gonna be in prime timeEverybody's all excited about it

Who remembers when it all beganOut here in no man's landWe've just begun to understandOut here in no man's landLow supply and high demandHere in no man's land

I see these children with their boredom and their vacant staresGod help us all if we're to blame for their unanswered prayersThey roll the sidewalks up at night, this place goes undergroundThanks to the condo kings there's cable now in ZombietownNow we're gonna get the closed circuitNow we're gonna get the Top 40Now we're gonna get the sports franchiseNow we're gonna get the major attractions

Who remembers when it all beganOut here in no man's landBefore the whole world was in our handsOut here in no man's landBefore the banners and the marching bandsOut here in no man's landLow supply and high demandHere in no man's land﻿

Early version (audio) of "No Man's Land" from the Shelter Island Sessions. Thank you to Tony Walker for posting.

"No Man's Land" live from The River of Dreams tour in Germany (1993)

Live performance of "No Man's Land" and interview on the premier of The Late Show with David Letterman (1993).

Billy explains the inspiration behind "No Man's Land" on VH-1's Storytellers in or about 1997.

All music and lyrics by Billy Joel, except as noted. This is an unofficial fan site providing information and commentary on Billy Joel's music. It is not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Billy Joel, Sony Music, Columbia Records, Maritime Music, or any Billy Joel organization. Billy Joel's official site is at BillyJoel.com.